A post accompanying the video of an online news report is going viral across social media platforms. The news report claims that PM Narendra Modi and BJP have built a huge statue of Saint Ramanuja Charya, known as ‘Statue of Equality’, close to Asaduddin Owaisi’s place in Hyderabad. The post further details the specifications of the statue and also displays images of the statue. The news is being shared in the context of UP elections. Through this article, let’s get the lowdown on the details of this statue and fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: PM Narendra Modi and BJP have built a huge statue of Saint Ramanujacharya in Hyderabad.
Fact: It is the ‘Jeeyar Educational Trust’, that has built a huge 216 feet statue of ‘Saint Ramanujacharya’ in Hyderabad. Neither PM Modi nor BJP has anything to do with the construction. It is Rs. 1000 crores project, and the trust is raising funds through donations. Annual financial reports of the trust are available on the trust website. As per the reports, PM Modi is going to unveil the statute on 02 February 2022, upon the request of Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, Trustee, Jeeyar Educational Trust. However, the construction of the statue has nothing to do with PM Modi or BJP government or the party. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
As part of the Sahasrabdi (1000th anniversary) celebrations of ‘Saint Ramanujacharya’, a 11th-century Hindu theologian and philosopher, Jeeyar Educational Trust has built a 216 feet statue of the saint in the premises of the Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy ashram in Muchintal village, on the outskirts of Hyderabad and the foundation stone of the project was laid on 02 May 2014 by Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, Trustee, Jeeyar Educational Trust. The Jeeyar Educational Trust is a global non-profit.
It is a 1000 crore rupees project and the trust has been raising funds in this regard from the devotees in the form of donations. This is evident from the annual financial statements of the trust (here & here). The annual financial reports also have details of the ‘State of Equality’ project.
News articles related to the donations collected for the project can be read here.
‘The statue is named as ‘Statue of Equality’ as ‘Saint Ramanuja’ had fought for equality of all creatures and not just humans, but also trees, birds and animals’ said Chinna Jeeyar Swamy. The statue is set to be inaugurated on 02 February 2022 by Prime Minister Modi, after accepting the request of Chinna Jeeyar Swamy. As per the news reports, President of India along with State Chief Ministers, Central Ministers, and other dignitaries are also going to participate in the event.
However, the construction of the huge statue has nothing to do with PM Modi or for that matter the BJP government. It is purely a private construction, which is being managed by the Jeeyar Educational Trust through funds raised by donations. The project has a dedicated portal, and information related to the project can be accessed on this portal. Specifications and news reports of the project are shared on the portal. The website also has a dedicated page for donations.
To sum it up, it is the Jeeyar Educational Trust, not PM Modi or the BJP, who built a 216 feet huge statue of ‘Saint Ramanujacharya’ in Hyderabad.
